Review

Inspired by Hong Kong's infamous Kowloon Walled City, this is a dark and grim read, but it is never sensational and is totally compelling. Graudin's gift for description brings Hak Nam vividly to life, and while she doesn't pull any punches in taking her readers to the depths of hell, some of her writing is movingly lyrical (South China Morning Post)

It doesn't happen often, but occasionally a novel comes along which transforms bedtime reading into something so exciting that the last thing it does is send you to sleep. Ryan Graudin's fast-paced The Walled City sets the reader's pulse racing from the "Run, run, run" in the opening chapter and doesn't slow down for even one page (Scotcampus)

Accomplished, intriguing ... rich, compelling ... very original (School Librarian)

Beautifully written ... a great read (SFX Magazine)

High octane pace from the start, engaging characters and a vividly-imagined criminal underworld. Dark and atmospheric, this is a compelling debut (Peter's Books)

Captivating, disturbing and brilliantly told (Western Gazette)

An exciting tale that reveals its characters layer by layer (Books For Keeps)

A dark, claustrophobic and sometimes disturbing novel ... full of love, longing and the fight to survive (The Scotsman)

From the opening page where a breathless chase scene plunges the reader straight into the middle of the action ... Graudin's novel maintains its pace and excitement ... A memorable and powerful novel ... a triumph of love and hope in the bleakest of circumstances (We Love This Book)

Graudin has imagined a life in The Walled City which is at once convincing and rich in character ... jarring, exciting, the action breathless, Manga brought vividly to life with vivid fluid prose ... [the] most satisfying read of the year (Hack Writers)

Book Description

DIVERGENT meets MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA in this dark YA thriller set within the walls of a lawless slum city, where Jin Ling searches for her lost sister and Dai struggles to complete an impossible mission.

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